Luhr learns in first IZOD IndyCar Series test (Update)

UPDATE Sports car champion Lucas Luhr turned his first laps in an Indy car ahead of his IndyCar Series debut a Sonoma Raceway, and gives RACER insights on the experience, about debriefing with the Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing engineers and where he'll look to improve on the 2.5-mile track when he returns next week.


08/14/13 Lucas Luhr enjoyed his first experience in an IZOD IndyCar Series car, despite his time being limited by a mechanical problem.

The German, who will make his series debut through a partnership between RW Motorsports and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing at Sonoma Raceway, completed 10 laps on the 12-turn, 2.385-mile road course Aug. 13 as the team overcame issues with the brakes and radio harness.

"Got my first laps in the Indy car today," Luhr wrote on Twitter following the test. "Great (experience) we have some work to do but love it so far."

However, he was dead last on time, even slower than Ed Carpenter by a wide margin, IndyCar's slowest road course driver. So unless he improves his next time out, he may not cut it as an IndyCar driver. To his credit he had only 10 laps in the car because of issues the team had with the car.

Pos. Driver Time
1 Ryan Hunter-Reay 78.8
2 James Hinchcliffe 79.3
3 Ryan Briscoe 79.6
4 Marco Andretti 79.6
5 EJ Viso 79.7
6 Sebastien Bourdais 79.7
7 Sebastian Saavedra 79.7
8 Takuma Sato 79.8
9 Justin Wilson 80.0
10 James Jakes 80.1
11 Graham Rahal 80.3
12 Josef Newgarden 80.4
13 Ryo Hirakawa 80.8
14 Ed Carpenter 81.1
15 Lucas Luhr 83.6